Redemption
by smiling
Summary: One of those missing scenes that could've happened. Takes place during Dirty Girl and after Orpheus. One time shot.


This is one of those scenes I would've loved to have seen! It falls into the 'they-so-shouldn't-have-let-that-slide-by-without-saying-something' category.

**Title: Redemption  
Rating: PG – nothing objectionable  
Characters: Faith/Buffy  
Length: 1,400ish **

This is an added seen to 'Dirty Girls' and after "Orpheus', direct quotes taken from Buffyword dot come with minor tweakage from me. You'll be able to tell where my stuff kicks in.

Un-beta'd too by the way.

Buffy had enough to worry about without adding Faith to the mix. Can anyone say, 'Trust issues'?

"No eyes, but look at him go. He got SONAR or something?" Faith asked, stopping.

"Or something, I guess. Pretty good when they attack," Buffy said, seeing the Bringer scurrying through the woods.

They started walking again. "Do they just roam free around town?"

They never used to. Times were changing and so not for the better. She heaved a sigh. "Well, normally, they show up out of nowhere, and then either stab or get stabbed, and then they run off. Looks like this guy wants to be found."

Faith shook her head. "Lends weight to the whole 'it's a trap' theory."

"I'm through waiting around for people to attack us." That was it, Buffy had been questioned one time too many, if people didn't like her plan… She was doing the best she could, why couldn't people see that?

Faith put her hands up in surrender. "Hey, I'm with you. Drop me in the hornet's nest, what the hell? You got a rough sitch here, trying to turn a bunch of little girls into an army--"

Buffy interrupted. "They're potential slayers, just like we were."

"Right. Maybe they'll do as good as us."

"They're getting better." She didn't care that this was more wishful thinking than anything else.

"I'll work with 'em. Some of 'em seem real eager. Fashion disasters, yeah, but they're ready to fight."

Why was Faith even here? Why risk her life when it had nothing to even do with her? Buffy stopped walking. "Why did you come back?"

"Willow said you needed me. Didn't give it a lot of thought. Do you—- Am I getting you want me to be not here?"

Buffy sighed. "No, that's not what I meant. I'm...glad that you're here. It's good. Thank you." And part of her meant what she said. Too bad it was the other part of her that was making her uneasy.

Faith began walking again. "No problem. You know me. All about the good deeds."

"Willow said you helped out Angel." And that's all Willow had said. Buffy had pressed her for details, but she wouldn't give any.

"Yeah. He says 'Hi'."

"Really." Why did she think there was more than a 'hi'? Oh, probably because Faith's eyes were being all shifty and weren't quite meeting her own.

"Yeah, really," Faith said.

"How is he?"

"Better. Had to do this whole magical mind-walk with him."

"You were in Angel's mind?"

"In a manner-of-speaking."

Buffy stopped walking again. "What do you mean in a manner-of-speaking?"

"Not thinking it's the time to talk about this, B."

"Can't walk and talk?" Buffy looked around, the Bringer they were following was still in sight, it's not like they could lose it. She knew she sounded bitchy, but she really didn't care. She didn't have the energy to care.

"You want to do this?"

"Wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to," Buffy said.

"Fine. You want the entire sitch or the down-n-dirty version?"

"Down-n-dirty?" She felt it sneaking up, like a snake slithering across the damp forest floor. Jealousy? How could she be jealous after all this time? Oh, it was easy. It was Angel and Faith they were talking about.

"Not in that way, B."

"Tell me what happened. Everything."

Faith leaned against a tree and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Could take a while, but what the hell. We got nothing but time, right?"

"Waiting."

"Jeez, B. Give me a minute." She reached in her pocket and grabbed a smoke. "Wes paid me a little visit."

"In prison?" They began walking again.

"Where else would I be?" She arched a brow at her. "Yeah, in prison. Told me Angel was in trouble. That's all I needed to hear. I busted out."

"What was wrong with him?"

"Angel had left the building. Angelus had moved back in."

Buffy's breath caught in her throat. One mention of Angelus and it all came rushing back. "Willow never… she never told me that he had come back."

Faith shook her head. "Wasn't in on that little convo, but he was back. Wes wanted me to help put the muzzle back on the pit bull so they could shove the soul back where it belonged."

"Go on."

"That's where Willow came in. Fred called her, needed a little mojo to help."

"Why did this brain walk happen? If Willow was there?"

"She wasn't there yet. Angelus was still out roaming free, you know? We had to get him out of circulation."

"How'd you do that?"

"Orpheus."

"What's Orpheus?"

"A drug, kind of bonds you. Take a walk down memory lane and all. Like I was saying, I was in Angel's mind, but I was in Angelus' too. Kind of had a threesome going, but not in a fun way."

"But you had to drug Angel… Angelus in order for it to work?" Faith nodded her head. "How did you get close enough to Angelus to do that? I can't see him putting himself in danger. He doesn't do anything unless he knows he'll end up on top."

"What's the quickest way to drug someone, B?"

"Drink it or shoot it." She caught the surprised look on Faith's face. "What? I'm not dumb."

"Didn't say you were. A little bit of both." Faith pulled her hair back from her neck. "I injected the shit and…"

The lighting was dim and Buffy couldn't see very well, so she took a step forward. Her gut told her what she was going to see before she actually saw it. She'd recognize his mark anywhere. She was sporting one of her own, the question why it never healed entering her mind every so often.

"He drank from you?"

"Kinda didn't have a choice."

"Angelus drank from you and let you live?" Buffy shook her head. "I don't buy it."

"Keep up, B. The drug hit him, he passed out."

"What did you do?"

"I passed out. Hence the entire 'memory lane brain tour'."

"What did you see?"

Buffy saw the flicker of something pass across Faith's face. Was it doubt? "What?"

"Kind of private." Faith shrugged her shoulders.

"Private? How can you tell me it's private? It's Angel we're talking about here. I know him better than--" She stopped. Buffy really didn't know Angelus at all. "Never mind. I don't think I want to know."

"If it makes you feel any better, B. It was a trip to hell for Angelus."

Angelus brought hell to earth. What would hell be for him? Oh! That! "Angel's good deeds."

Faith smiled. "Exactly. Okay, I'll tell you one thing. Angel saved a puppy. Angelus was pissed. He didn't want to admit something and wanted to bolt, leave where we were at the time. I didn't get it and then I saw Angel do it. Angelus was fit to be tied I tell you!" Then she added, "But knowing him like I do now, he probably would've liked the entire being tied up thing--in the right circumstances and all."

"Angel saved a puppy?" Buffy smiled. "I was going to say I could see him doing that, but I think I'd be lying. He saved a puppy."

"Redemption takes on all sorts of things I guess. Gotta start somewhere." Faith shrugged her shoulders. "Angel got his soul back, Angelus got shoved back down in a box, and now I'm here to help you guys out."

"Redemption." That's what it was all about, wasn't it? Angel and then Faith and now Spike. They all needed to redeem themselves for different reasons and in different ways. Buffy hadn't seen it that clearly until now.

"Yeah."

Faith stopped again so suddenly, Buffy almost crashed into her. "What is this place?" Faith asked.

A Bringer disappeared into a barn-like building. "Look, there's more of them." As if summoned, more had shown up and then disappeared into the building.

"I think we just found our hornet's nest," Faith said.

"Let's get the cavalry."

If only it had been that easy.


End file.
